DEAD EYES STILL GLIMMER | VKOOK ✓

02 ➳ DEAD EYES STILL GLIMMER

Taehyung stood under the shower head and turned on the water. It was extremely cold. However, he did not pay any mind to it. Then, the water gradually began to warm up to the point where it made his skin burn. Taehyung could not bring himself to turn it down until he hissed in pain.

"This is amazing," he whispered to himself. His hands were against the wall as he let his head hang. Taehyung watched as the grime rolled from his body and swirled down the drain. Taehyung did not think his skin has ever looked this pale.

"It's nice, isn't it?" Taehyung looked over at Jeongguk. A rosy hue rose to bubble upon the ebony-haired boy's cheeks at Taehyung's nudity, the elder remained passive. Before the water went out, Jeongguk and Taehyung showered together. Taehyung recalled asking him to wash the soap out his eyes.

"How long have you been here?" Taehyung inquired. Jeongguk set a pair of new, branded clothes down on the bench along with a towel. He sat with his back turned towards the elder as Taehyung washed his body with soap, real soap.

"Since the beginning, about a week after I left you, Namjoon found me and took me in. I was a stupid kid. I made a lot of mistakes. Leaving you was one of them. I would have been safe with you," answered Jeongguk solemnly. Taehyung turned around in time to watch Jeongguk rub under his shirt as if his shoulder was injured.

"You were a smart kid. You were smarter than me. You carried a weapon," Taehyung comforted. Then, a long hush crept over them. Taehyung used that time to wash his hair and felt the hot water streak down his perfectly angular visage.

"Do you still believe they're human inside? That if someone were to get the sickness and be revived, they would still be the same person they were before?" Jeongguk sounded as though he was about to cry.

"I don't know anymore."

"You sound so mature. Your voice has gotten a lot deeper and you've grown taller, and broader. We were almost the same height back then," Jeongguk said as he examined Taehyung. The elder chuckled.

"I was twelve then."

"I still thought you were handsome." Taehyung stared at the boy's back. The water suddenly stopped. Taehyung had rinsed his body and overall just enjoyed it. He guessed it was probably set on a timer. Jeongguk threw a towel in Taehyung's direction. While Taehyung had been drying off, he went beside Jeongguk to put his new clothes on. Taehyung swiftly hauled his new underwear and pants on before Jeongguk turned around. Jeongguk stood up on his tippy toes and threaded his skeletal fingers through Taehyung's overgrown hair.

"I can cut it if you want."

"Yeah, thank you," Taehyung nodded. Jeongguk walked to get a pair of scissors. Then he told Taehyung to sit on the bench with a leg on each side. Jeongguk gently placed the towel around Taehyung's neck. Then, Taehyung listened to the younger's movements. The sound of scissors snipping through his hair sent an uncomfortable chill down Taehyung's spine.

"So, you and Namjoon ... what's up with that?"

"Um ... I don't know. I guess you could say he's my caretaker. He respects my boundaries but sometimes he becomes too friendly. He understands that he's about twenty years older than me though. I'm still a kid to him," Jeongguk explains. Taehyung watched as his charcoal locks fell down in chunks as Jeongguk continued to cut. "What about you? Anyone you travel with?"

"I hung out with this girl. She tried to kill me in my sleep."

"How charming," They shared a laugh. "I might have to shave part of your head. It's a bit patchy on this side. Zombie got you?" asked Jeongguk.

"Nah, chewing gum," answered Taehyung. Jeongguk stifled an outburst of laughter.

"I can fix it, I'll give you an undercut," Jeongguk said as he went to fetch another piece of equipment to clean Taehyung up. He returned with an old fashioned barber razor.